I know I know, I haven’t posted in well…forever.  But after last weekend I decided I needed to put this up.  It’s just too easy and too sexy.

Last Friday I went out to eat with my man, just like I do almost every Friday. Our plan was to check out a new restaurant that’s fairly modern and casual.

And just like I do every time I go to a casual restaurant, I put on a look that always works for me: jeans, a sexy top, bangles, and heels. For makeup, of course I decided on my “belle of the ball” look: a classic smoky eye in black. But once I had my makeup on and was ready to leave, I decided to give things a twist. In today’s post, I’ll tell you how you can do it too…

But how many different ways are there to do a smoky eye? Lots! If you’re one of my Personal Makeup Super-course students, you already know that eye makeup technique doesn’t only vary widely, it can literally even change the appearance of your face. Here are the steps to adding a different twist to your smoky eye…

Once your face is totally made up (foundation, concealer, and powder), we’ll move on to eye makeup. For me, the easiest way to do a smoky eye is to follow these steps:

-  Use a black pencil that’s smooth and creamy. I like the one from MAC, because it’s very easy to blend.

-  Make a thick line at the upper and lower lash roots. (It doesn’t matter if it’s straight, because we’re going to blend this with a brush later on.)

-  Go back over the pencil to darken it and blend. The line doesn’t need to be too thick, especially on the lower lid.

-  Once you’ve blended, define the crease by blending in this area. It’s best if you blend just right in the crease, not too far above it, or you will make your eyes will look smaller.

-  Now apply a matte black shadow to the lid with a medium-sized brush to make the black even darker.

-  Once you’ve finished, apply an illuminating concealer just under the brow in place of shadow. ( Touche Éclat by YSL is perfect for this.) If you’ve smudged the undereye area, you can clean this area and then apply the concealer there too. Blend with a clean, thick brush. You’ll see how the area will be illuminated with a freshness that only a cream texture can provide.

-  Next, apply two coats of mascara.(My fav is Christian Dior’s Diorshow in blackest black)

-  Now it’s time to make up the inside rim of your eyes with the black pencil. Try to make up the inner rim of the upper lid as well. Yes, I know it’s hard… Another option is to line the lower part thoroughly and then bat your eyelashes so it rubs off on the upper lid.

-  I prefer to apply pencil after my mascara.

-  To finish up and add that unique touch like I did last Friday, use a medium brush to apply a bright-colored shadow over the black. I chose a navy blue from Bobbi Brown that gave me just a touch of color without changing the smoky effect. Apply the shadow right at the lash roots and lightly over the lid. You can use fuchsia, turquoise, or even gold or silver. You’ll see – it will transform your smoky eye in just a minute.

-  Since this eye makeup look is fairly eye-catching, apply only a matte bronzing powder to your cheeks to add a little contour without adding much color, and use a clear gloss on your lips.

A recent post to my facebook read:

“Dear Guru,
I bought the waterproof version of Dior Show Mascara for the first time. I absolutely love it, but I’m having the most awful time taking it off.

I’ve tried Shu Uemura cleansing oil (which typically wipes anything), regular eye make-up remover, and even Vaseline. No matter what, I have big black splotches on my pillow in the morning. Any ideas?

Sincerely,
Helpless Lash Girl

xoxo”

I promptly replied to the sender on her wall even though it was 2am and I was several drinks into the “evening.”  

Obviously, a guru need not be sober to dispense beauty advice

The next day, beneath her thank-you and original post read this comment:

“What was the remedy??? I have the exact same problem!!!!! Share guru Even my no fail old fashioned Ponds has let me down….”

Who knew so many women had issues with the new formulation waterproofs??

Not this guru.  Had I known, I of course would have crafted my final response (that then appeared on my own wall for all my curious female FB friends to see) into a pithy and fun blog post months ago. 

So here it is, just for you, minus the pith and fun but chock full of the necessary info:
For a stubborn waterproof, I suggest Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel.
But I also don’t simply apply by hand and then wash off (Helpless Lash Girl - I think I may have failed to mention this part at 2am on Saturday night)…
I use the Shiseido brand [facial] cotton. It’s sold at Shiseido counters, and it’s a LIFE saver. It’s specially designed so that it does not absorb and waste product like most cotton. So you get much more shelf-life out of things like makeup remover, nail polish remover, et al.
You can apply the Pure Melt gel by hand or using the cotton. Either way, though, you must use the cotton to wipe off – DO NOT JUST RINSE – and continue to very gentle wipe (you don’t want to compromise those gorgeous lashes) until you do not see ANY residue on the cotton…
And the fabulous recessionista spin is that you save not only on product by using the Shiseido cotton, but also you keep clean pillowcases and save on laundry!!
Ladies…… budget is the new black!

Att hitta bra make up produkter tycker jag är grymt svårt, men när det kommer till rouge och mascara har jag i alla fall hittat två favoritprodukter.  Min absoluta favoritmascara, som jag aldrig kommer att byta ut är Diorshow mascara, orginalet! (Har testat både diorshow black out & diorshow unlimited och dom är inte äns i närheten lika bra som orginalet!) Nåväl, denna mascaran har allt, fransarna blir snyggt separerade, långa, maximal volym och lite lätt uppböjda. Värd sin vikt i guld – helt klart! Kostar runt 220:- tror jag.

Rouget då, en nykommen favorit som funnits i min sminkväska i ungefär tre veckor, den perfekta färgen på ett vardagsrouge! (Använder nummer489 Sugar & Spice) ett fint rosa-brunt rouge, som drar lite mer åt det bruna hållet. Lättapplicerat, sitter bra och som sagt, underbar färg! Kostar runt 340:- och är mycket drygt!

Next up är att hitta den perfekta foundationen och concealer… tips någon?

I’ve broken down and done it. I’ve tried to fight it for months but it is on its way from Sephora. $24 dollars for a mascara. We are at war. Gas is over $4. I know it is a shame. I wait everyday for the rumble of the UPS truck. It will probably end up being just another black mascara. Sigh. Then again….this just might be the one!

UPDATE:

Well it came and…it is just another black mascara. No wow factor and I used CILS Booster XL as a base before applying. I am not impressed. It is nothing special.  The sample of the Sephora atomic volume mascara was more impressive.  I will definitely be purchasing this.  It lengthened my short little lashes like crazy.  And then there is Lancome Defincils and Clinique High Impact and High Definition which are my staples.  I will stick with these for now.

I’ve always loved the fresh-faced, English-rose beauty: pale skin, flushed cheeks, bee-stung lips. It’s a just-woke-up prettiness. Of course, I’d like to wake up and looked like Kiera Knightley or Jennifer Ehle (Lizzy in the tremendous A&E version of Pride and Prejudice). But that’s just me.

“It’s Jane Austen beauty,” says Poppy King, the woman behind The Lipstick Queen. “You look like you’ve just fallen in love.” And in love or not, you can get that look with King’s newest lip creation, Oxymoron Matte Gloss.

Unlike matte lipstick, which can be drying, Oxymoron Matte Gloss ($24 CAN/$20 USd) is smooth and sheer, like cream blush but with a bit more glide, and comfortable to wear. Beautiful on cheeks too, it’s available in four shades that mimic a heightened natural flush for a range of skintones.

10 steps to “Jane Austen beauty”:

1) Start with exfoliated, well moisturized skin.

2) Apply foundation if you need it to even out your skintone (try Smashbox High Definition Healthy FX Foundation SPF 15, $38).

3) Camouflage under-eye circles, darkness at the inner corners of the eyelids, and discolouration around the base of the nose (try CoverGirl Advanced Radiance Age-Defying Concealer, $8.99) .

4) Blend a dab of Matte Gloss on the apple of each cheek, as per the above image of Keira Knightley with her appealing Pride & Prejudice co-star Matthew McFadyen.

5) If you have oily skin, dust a light layer of powder all over to help your makeup stay put all day (try M.A.C Blot Powder/Pressed, $25)

6) Curl lashes (the Tweezerman lash curler is just $10).

7) Run dark brown or black waterproof eyeliner (try Maybelline New York Unstoppable Eyeliner, $8.49, in Espresso or Onyx) along the inner rim of your upper lid, at the root of your lashes.

Define upper lashes with black mascara (Diorshow Mascara, $31, is a favourite for lush results).

9) Use a brow brush to fill brows in lightly with a shadow that matches them.

10) Pat a bit of Matte Gloss on your lips.

I’m wearing Oxymoron Matte Gloss in Honest Politician in this photo. My lips and brows are a bit more defined, but do I look like I’m in love? Well, I would if Clive-O were checking out the application. *grin*

The Lipstick Queen Oxymoron Matte Gloss, at Holt Renfrew, www.holtrenfrew.com; www.thelipstickqueen.com. Smashbox, CoverGirl, Tweezerman, Maybelline New York and Dior, at Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques. (Smashbox and Dior, also at Sephora, www.sephora.com.) M.A.C, www.maccosmetics.com

Jeg har hostet opp (bokstavelig urrk) fem av mine favoritt skjønnhetsprodukter. Alt kan kjøpes i Norge i ulike skjønnhetssalonger eller på nettet via mine favorittbutikker, www.lookfantastic.com eller www.strawberrynet.com  (NB! husk at du må betale moms på alt over 200 kroner, altså du må legge til 25 %. Det lønner seg å bestille en og en vare dersom de er billigere enn kr 200. Du bør også fortolle selv via f.eks. www.toll.no, hvis ikke vil posten og andre som ups ta høye gebyrer for å gjøre papirarbeidet for deg, fra kr 90 -350 kroner. Dersom du handler mye fra utlandet som meg bør du absolutt fortolle selv – det er både raskt og enkelt. Da slipper du hvertfall ubehagelige overraskelser. Brukernavn og passord bestiller du på www.toll.no og du vil motta brev med passord i posten. Du kan gjøre alt online.).